


Memory and the X-Men

by WalkingDolphin



Category: Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 11:50:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11554620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WalkingDolphin/pseuds/WalkingDolphin





	Memory and the X-Men

Burgundi hugged her mom goodbye and then stepped out of the town car that had brought her to Westchester.  Standing outside the Charles Xavier School for the Gifted, everything seemed so green, smelled so pseudo-rural.  It looked Ivy League; out of her league.  She took her suitcase and rolling makeup kit from the driver more out of habit than by actual intent.  As the car carrying her mother headed back to New York City, Burgundi reflexively waved goodbye.

Just as a hint of brimstone wafted her way, Kurt Wagner stepped out of the shadows to the left of the gate, opposite the formal bronze plaque she'd been staring at.

"Welcome to Xavier's, Miss Curtaine.  How was your trip?"

Burgundi's brain lurched from confused mode to some semblance of socially-abled.  "It was fine," she fibbed.  Not horrible, but the transition from the big city to here had been a test of her nerves, especially with what 'here' meant.

She was a Mutant.  Her red skin wasn't some weird recessive gene from her father-unknown.  She wasn't just tough from dancing and working backstage almost since she could walk.  Those were tiny horns underneath her raked-forward hat.  Little wings struggled to flap beneath the elastic bandages across her back.  Her tail flailed against her right leg inside the compression tube she'd fashioned to contain it.

"I'm fine."

She had seen Mr. Wagner without his... hologram thingy.  He looked like a demon in blue, with a tail longer than hers and half the usual number of fingers on each hand.  The truth of his appearance made her feel better - less alone... but only a little.  His tail did as it was told.  He could even fence with it.  Hers was half as long and a hundred times as aggravating.

"Pfennig for your thoughts?" Kurt offered.

"Sorry.  I'm... overwhelmed.  A little scared."

"You have every right to be, Miss Curtaine.  This is a big step, but you must trust that it is a good one.  You can learn a great deal here, and maybe help our fellow man in the process."

"That's why I'm here."  She sighed.  Under her breath, she added, "Better than dancing in rap videos or posing for death-metal band album covers."

If he heard her, Kurt kindly ignored her addendum.  "Shall I show you the main spaces before Miss Munroe gives you a tour of the girl's wing and shows you your room?"

"I'd like that.  Thank you."

"Can I take your bags?"

"They're not heavy.  Thank you anyway."  She was glad to keep her hands occupied, if only to more easily resist the temptation to actively wrangle her demon parts.  They were particularly diabolical when she was nervous, and today was top-ten in that department.

After the tour of the classrooms, cafe space, and the recreation areas out back, Kurt handed Burgundi off to Ororo Munroe.  If not for the Santa-white hair, she could easily have been one of the most beautiful women Burgundi had ever seen... and as graceful as Burgundi's mom to boot.  She carried herself like a princess in a sun dress.

"We are glad to have you here, and happier still that you were able to come early, before the autumn classes begin again."  Ororo's accent had notes of French, Arabic, and something Burgundi's ear couldn't identify... all of it splendid to hear.

"Thank you.  Kurt mentioned that some of the staff wasn't returning.  Am I to try to help out there at the same time as I pursue my studies and try to get a handle on my abilities?"

Ororo paused, a hint of recent pain in her expression, clearly pushed aside by an act of substantial will.  "Only volunteer for things as you feel able, Miss Curtaine.  You are majority age, yes?  It is your choice entirely.  Your studies do not come with any demands save your best effort toward your best self."

"Mister Wagner said there was a team... a group who responded to mutant incidents around the world.  Is that one of the things you mean?"

"Yes."  Ororo looked away momentarily to compose herself.  A brief rain started and stopped in mere moments.  "It is not a small commitment.  A recent mission left us with five dead and one missing.  It is good and vital work, but do not volunteer lightly."

Burgundi nodded, trying to clear a lump in her throat.  "I won't... I mean... I'll choose what I do carefully."

"That is wise."  Ororo's eyes cleared, and the sun came back out to shine through the window at the end of the hall.  She turned to the left and an antique key appeared in her hand.  "This will be your room."

The door opened on a huge space, with a ceiling high enough for full lifts and nearly enough floor space for a broad dance routine.  The far wall was almost all windows, half vertical and half set into the angled roof line.  At the practice hall Burgundi had called home until now, she would have shared this room with maybe a half-dozen other girls; bunk beds optional!

The floors were hardwood and the walls were painted warm white.  A dresser and a wardrobe flanked a door to the far right.  Between two banks of windows, a makeup table with a big mirror and an arch of lights stood almost straight ahead of her.  A full sized bed with cream linens filled the near right, and then the left side of the room was open, as if waiting to be made into a mini-studio.

"This is amazing..." Burgundi whispered.

"Get settled for now and tomorrow I will show you some of the other spaces, so you might not feel so overwhelmed.  It was a huge house long before it became a small school.  We all enjoy a part of it to call our own."

"Thank you... and I'm sorry for your loss."

Ororo nodded.  "There will be a memorial service tomorrow, and their markers will be unveiled."  Clouds threatened again momentarily, but swept away just as quickly.  "Feel free to join us, if you wish."

Burgundi nodded.  It wouldn't be right to ignore an invitation to a funeral.  She'd learn the names of the people they had lost and whatever anyone would say about their histories.  Mister Wagner had said that the missions they undertook were important.  She needed to know what that really meant.

 

They gathered in a sheltered garden a bit before midday.  Old headstones for Xavier family members long passed were joined by five new monuments of bronze and stone.  Their names were recorded beneath the castings of their faces:

_Scott Summers - Cyclops_

_Bobby Drake - Iceman_

_Hank McCoy - Beast_

_Warren Worthington III - Angel_

_Piotr Rasputin - Colossus_

The close proximity of the markers suggested that these were cenotaphs or crematory repositories.  Burgundi wondered in silence whether they had all wished to be cremated, or if whatever had killed them had left the survivors no real choice.  Her tail lashed beneath her long skirt and her wings refused to still beneath her dark blazer.  No one seemed to notice, but her cheeks blushed to a deep shade of charcoal all the same.

Mister Wagner and Miss Munroe were there; Kurt in a dark suit that complimented his blue fur and Ororo in a simple white dress.  A tall Apache man of remarkable proportions stood in complete stillness and silence, his taut navy blue suit seeming that much grimmer against the beads and feathers in his braids.  Two other men, one Japanese and the other Irish, stood at opposite edges of the proceeding, both garbed in black suits.  Burgundi recognized Professor Xavier from his picture in the school brochures.  As he maneuvered his wheelchair to a place where he could address everyone, she wondered if he had been injured when the others died.

Professor X began speaking, but Burgundi couldn't make out the words for some reason.  She could actually feel the Professor's emotional pain.  It drowned out everything else for her, but no one else in attendance seemed to notice.  A terrible chill washed over her, and she slumped to her knees.  As the others moved to aid her, the world went dark.

 

Burgundi's eyes fluttered open through a red haze.  She immediately felt the presence of someone - Professor Xavier - as a calming influence in her mind.

**_"Are you all right, Miss Curtaine?  You gave us all quite a start."_ **

She nodded and tried to speak, but only a soft rush of air passed her lips.

 ** _"Remain calm,"_** Charles thought to her, the immensity of his will focused down to a gentle, reassuring voice.  **_"You will be able to speak again soon; don't worry."_**

 _"What happened?"_ she thought, hoping he could hear her.

**_"We were hoping that you could tell us.  Have your powers ever manifested in this way before?"_ **

_"I'm not sure I understand."_   Her relief turned to confusion.  _"The only real 'power' I've used before is levitation, and - lame as that has been so far - 'levitating' onto the ground-face first isn't how it's worked in the past, if that's what you mean."_

He let his own concern and confusion show through their mental connection for a moment before explaining, **_"You had a power surge at the memorial service.  Do you remember anything that happened?"_**

_"Only feeling dizzy, and then collapsing...._

**_"You had a series of transformative episodes, and then summoned multiple bursts of energy.  Sean managed to subdue you with his sonic abilities and we brought you down to the infirmary for observation.  Does anything feel different to you now?"_ **

_"Everything looks red...."_

**_"Ah... yes.  You're wearing a pair of ruby quartz goggles.  One of your energy bursts was similar to the abilities of Cyclops, so we used the same technology he used to control his powers to contain yours until we could ascertain what had happened to you."_ **

_"Did the sound powers affect my voice somehow?"_

**_"No, you are wearing a power dampener around your neck.  You were about to exhale some sort of mist right before you were rendered unconscious.  I am going to slowly reduce its power; remain calm and let me know if you feel some sort of surge as I do."_ **

_"I... I'll try."_

Burgundi took a deep breath, let it out, and then Charles began to adjust the device as soon as she felt ready.  More than once, she signaled for the professor to stop as some new, strange feeling washed over her, but in the end, he was able to remove the dampening device altogether.

She coughed a little before managing to whisper, "I feel like _something_ has happened, but I have no idea what."  As she relaxed more deeply into the padding of the gurney, she suddenly realized, "My wings are gone!"

Burgundi sat up and reached over her shoulders into the neck hole of her medical gown.  The muscles of her back were still different from everyone else she'd observed closely, but the wings themselves were completely absent.  Not so much as a lump remained to mark where their roots had been.  Even though she had never imagined a day where she would miss any of her frustrating extra limbs, it was almost a relief when her tail twitched between her legs.  She reached up to her brow, and the pointed bumps of her horns were still there as well.  Then her hands strayed toward the weird red ski goggles sat, and Professor Xavier cautioned her to be careful.

"Scott was able to cut steel with his optic blasts.  We should wait until we can get you outside or into a reinforced area before you test your control."  Despite the rather dire warning, his voice was as calming as his mental communication had been.

"Oh.  Okay."  She lowered her hands to her lap for a moment, then pulled the blanket back up to her chin and lay down.  "Hate hospital gowns," she muttered.

"Would you like to change into some training garb?  You might be more comfortable, and it will let us continue to monitor your vitals."

Professor Xavier seemed a perfect gentleman.  Maybe she was worrying too much about what was or wasn't visible through the thin cotton "X" print.  Still, sweat clothes sounded borderline heavenly by comparison.

"Yes, please."

"Ororo had a suit rendered for you.  It's in the top drawer of the bed stand there," gesturing toward the left side of the gurney.  "I'll wait for you outside and let the others know that you're back with us."

Burgundi nodded, waiting until Charles was almost out of the room before turning her legs out of the bed.  She looked down and sighed.  The gown had left nothing to the imagination.  She yanked it off in dismay and tossed it on the floor before pulling the nightstand drawer open... to worse.  The workout clothes consisted of a one-piece, ankle-to-wrist-to-neck garment no thicker than winter tights.  She searched the drawer further and found underpants, gloves and little boots... all but the briefs in the same yellow and black "X" pattern.

She'd grown up with dancers.  All her friends and her mom's friends were body proud and accustomed to backstage nudity and costume changes on the fly.  The problem was Burgundi wasn't built like they were.  She didn't mind showing a little leg, but being top-heavy from the age of nine had made her more than a little shy about her choices for shirts and such.

After somehow getting the strange synthetic zipper closed up to her neck and buttoning the collar, she opened the door just enough to glance out to where Charles was waiting.  "I'm going to need a jacket or something, Professor Xavier."

"Are you feeling cold?  Usually the training uniforms distribute heat fairly well."  He considered her face for a moment, and the charcoal blush across her cheeks helped him put the last piece in place.  Nodding in silent apology, he offered, "I'll ask Kurt to look for something for you."

"Thank you."  She moved away from the door, but left it open behind her.

After a minute or two, a 'bamf' noise sounded in the hall, and the hint of brimstone that signaled Kurt's arrival wafted into the room.  Burgundi stopped pacing, took a breath, and glanced out the door.  She couldn't help but smile.  He wasn't hiding under a hologram this time, and his training uniform left even less to the imagination than hers.  It consisted of little more than black tights with a red over-piece that flared at the shoulders and parted for his tail in the back.  Bright white boots and gloves with red accents drew some attention away from his gymnast's body, but only a little bit.  She pulled her gaze up to his face as he entered the room.

"Will this do, Fräulein?" Kurt asked, holding out a brown bomber jacket that was clearly much too big for him.  "Mister Proudstar offers it with his compliments.  He's outgrown it, so he won't need it back."  Much like the Professor, Kurt seemed to have no trouble making eye contact and helping her feel more at ease.

"This is great.  I really appreciate it."  She slipped it on, finding it terribly loose in the shoulders and at the waist, but a fine fit where she worried most as she zipped it almost all the way up.  "My tail isn't the body part I'm most uncomfortable about," she admitted, and her tail wagged through the opening in the back of her tights as if to agree.

"I grew up in the circus in Germany.  I have no subtlety when it comes to clothes," he joked, waving his arm at his attire as he bowed to her.  "We will, of course, respect your requirements to the best of our ability."

"Thank you."  She walked out toward Charles with Kurt following close behind her.  "I think I'm ready now."

"Of course.  If you'll follow me."  Charles led the way, his chair seeming to steer itself with no visible input from him.

They went down a hallway with metal walls, white ceiling tiles, and black synthetic floor covering, passing a few round doors that would have looked less out of place on a space ship.  Charles indicated what led where; ladies' lockers, men's lockers, pool and sauna, various laboratories, and then finally an ominously labeled 'Danger Room'.  When Burgundi paused, he explained, "This facility simulates dangerous situations, but the drones and projectors are calibrated to do no harm beyond perhaps a bruise from a bad fall.  The walls are a special alloy, so if you do have trouble containing your new powers, the damage should be kept to a minimum."

"I'll be inside with you the whole time," Kurt added.

Burgundi nodded.  "Safety first."

The entry iris opened in four directions, reinforcing the spaceship vibe of this level, and Kurt and Burgundi entered.  Before the door closed behind them, Charles told Burgundi, "I'll be up in the control room, setting up safe environments for you to test yourself.  Give me a few moments, and we'll begin as soon as you're ready."

She nodded again before gazing up at the high ceiling and trying to count the metal tiles to guess just how big the room was.  "You could drill a whole football team in here... or fill it with water and train astronauts...."

Kurt smiled.  "We have done flight simulations.  I'm training on piloting the team jet here."

"You have your own jet?"

"The Professor used to work with a metal manipulator.  They designed and built it, along with this place and many other systems that help us locate and train mutants."

"Wow."

They ambled around the empty space for a minute or two, and then Charles' voice filtered into the room through almost flawless speakers hidden seemingly everywhere.  "Are you ready, Miss Curtaine?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Start with what you know.  You said your original power was levitation.  Let's begin there."

Kurt stepped back and to the side a few long paces.  Burgundi smiled, pretending that this was just another stage, and then looked toward the ceiling and thought *UP.*

Her wings made a truly dramatic re-entrance, the claw-tipped longest bones punching neat holes in the back of her jacket before webbed spans unfurled to more than twice her height from tip to tip.  She faltered and got twisted up halfway to the ceiling, but managed to land fairly cleanly on her feet.  The huge bat wings settled around her a bit like a cloak on an over-dramatic magician.

The Professor and Kurt both asked almost simultaneously, "Are you all right?"

"A little flustered, but otherwise fine."  Careful to not let them swing toward Kurt, she spread her wings again and studied what they had become for a moment.  Before, they had been something appropriate for a hug-sized plush dragon, about as useful for flight as penguin wings, but now everything was muscle and membrane that just begged for an open sky.  Her expression was as neutral as she could manage.  "Was this one of the 'transformative episodes' you mentioned?"

"We would not keep something like that a secret from you, Miss Curtaine," the Professor promised.  "Give me a moment; I'll have the Danger Room provide a  rough simulation of what we saw in the memorial garden."

Burgundi furled her wings behind her and crossed her arms under her chest, subtly bracing for what she was about to see.  Kurt approached and put a hand on her shoulder.  She smiled at him, and faced front again when something hummed into existence about two meters away from her.  The holographic image started out looking like her from before the changes, and then morphed into a far more muscular shape.  Its mouth was full of pointed teeth, its hair was wild, and its fingers ended in curved claws.  Burgundi barely got out the first word of her thought, "How--", and then the change happened to her for real.  Her shoulders filled out her new jacket with muscle and her training gloves parted at the fingertips to make room for neat little cat talons.

"Just like that," Kurt observed, standing his ground and not pulling his hand away.  "Are you all right?"

Burgundi expected to sound like a B-movie monster, but her voice was unaltered when she answered.  "More than a little creeped out, but fine, I think."  She covered Kurt's two-fingered hand with her pseudo-paw.  "Thanks for not freaking out."

"I have a bit of experience with the unusual."  He gave her shoulder a supportive squeeze.

From above in the control booth, the Professor asked, "Can you reverse this change?  Your wings returned within your body when you adopted the bestial form, so it stands to reason that you can dispel this alteration of self as well."

Burgundi concentrated on what she used to look like, what she wanted to look like, but nothing seemed to happen.  "I think I'm stuck."

"Control takes time, Miss Curtaine," the Professor assured her.  "Perhaps we should see if you have control over your optic blasts while your body adjusts to your transformation."

Burgundi nodded, prompting Kurt to guide her over to a target range that deployed itself from the floor.

"Scott could contain his blasts just by closing his eyes," the Professor explained.  "Pick a target, focus on where it is, close your eyes, and then take the goggles off.  Be prepared for a bit of fireworks when you reopen your eyes, but it won't harm anyone as long as you stay focused downrange."

"Sounds easy enough," Burgundi lied.

"Hand me the goggles before you open your eyes," Kurt offered.  "I'll be right here if you have any problems."

"I just have to remember not to turn toward you when I do...."

"Ducking is just one of my many talents," Kurt joked, and Burgundi found a smile for him.

"I'll try not to test you."

"Danke."

Burgundi took a cleansing breath, shook out her hands a bit, and then concentrated for a moment on the middle target of three.  Kurt kept one hand on her shoulder, holding the other out to claim the goggles as soon as she took them off.  She shut her eyes tight, eased the goggles free of her hair, and handed them over before starting a countdown.

"Three... two... one...."

She opened her eyes, and a torrent of energy poured forth.  To her credit, even startled, she managed to steer the blast onto her intended target after leaving an arcing black mark on the wall above and behind it.  She blinked, and the beam stayed shut off when her eyes reopened.  Better still, her jacket was no longer so snug, and her fingers no longer ended in claws.

Careful not to look back at Kurt yet, she asked the Professor, "Do you think I have this part down, or should I put the goggles back on now?"

"I think you have this part of your new abilities fairly well grasped," Charles answered.  "You may have to be careful for a while, but the best way to learn care is to practice it."

"Before, you sort of made it sound like Scott never learned to control his power."

"He had suffered a traumatic head injury in his youth that damaged the part of his brain that would have given him complete control.  As that part of your mind is intact, you may not have that challenge.  Still, you will have to take care.  Consider what it felt like just now when you released that force against the target, and shut your eyes immediately if you feel a similar surge in the future."

"All right.  I'll remember."

Kurt handed her the goggles back.  "Maybe tuck these into a pocket, if things become less manageable at some point."

She took them and put them into her right hand pocket, within easy reach.  "Is there anything else I should try?" asking both men at once.

Charles answered, "If you feel up to it, we could put you through some drills to test your strength and agility.  Sometimes exertion reveals mutation."

"I'm a little tired," she admitted.

"Tomorrow, then," Kurt offered.  "You've come a long way in one session.  No need to push, right Herr Professor?"

"Of course not.  Please, take your ease, Miss Curtaine."

"Thank you both."  She bowed toward where the Professor's voice seemed to be focused and then almost did the same toward Kurt before she caught the reflex.  Kurt gave that sweeping bow again, and Burgundi went ahead and curtsied, using the broad jacket waist as a pretend skirt.

"Would you like something to eat?" Kurt asked.

"I think I'm halfway to ravenous," she admitted.  "Yes, thank you."


End file.
